@rjquillin I’ve had both before - one at a K&L tasting and the other at the brewery in Toronto. The latter is where I learned how much more interesting namazake can be than the pasteurised stuff.
@kawichris650 Well, too late for that. Next time he visits he could hazard slumming it with our “cheap” sushi place. (Hard to say it’s actually cheap, but with what they charge for sushi in LA it’s relatively reasonable.)
@karenhynes I’m still working on my pinot palate; don’t really know what I like, but this worked quite well with that Campo Grande. @kaolis notes, as well as CT (surprise), seem pretty spot on, but I should have more thoughts in a few days.
Didn’t know I even had this, but a walk down to the cellar looking for a PN this was standing up in a random open case on top and got the grab.
@karenhynes Faux Rat follow-up
A couple days in the fridge, no Ar, and this seems a totally different bottle. Gone are all the sharp edges I noticed on day one. Now it’s all nice sweet (not rs) fruit with, for me, balanced structure that nearly makes this a quaffer in the best way. Thoroughly enjoyable, and glad there is more waiting.
2011 Two Jakes of Diamonds Merlot, Lake County. 3 hours before we’d be opening this at the restaurant, I ah-so out the cork, pour through aerator into that pitcher, then through funnel back into bottle. You see here I’m about to work the cork back into the bottle. When opened at the restaurant, it’s already been breathing for a few hours.
My wife and I are not Bordeaux folks, but this was great. Meaty Mexican food was a great pairing. Plenty of life ahead. I could certainly have decanted more. A few years ago, as I was learning about wine, this was the first wine I left on the counter at room temperature for 3 days, half full, and saw how it kept getting better. Blew my mine.
SWMBO made sketti with some Flannery sausages,
I countered with some 2010 Vino Noceto Sangiovese;
a WW purchase from nearly 13 years ago.
Drinking quite nicely too…
@rjquillin
Some quick recipe that I got off the website that I bought the Ramen bowls from, a chef named Akari Hasegawa. It doesn’t have the depth of a good Ramen but it’s quick (3 hours) and it was a good way to use my Morgan ranch Kabob meat that I’m not so fond of it’s tasty tho.
@ScottW58 tnx
Haven’t tried all that much Morgan, but I’ll have to agree, not at all impressed on any of the Kabob meat we’ve had, and that soured any additional purchases.
@danandlisa@ScottW58
And I seem to be in the minority here, as well as WB. Just not impressed with the few others I’ve had either, especially when considering the tariff. Just a commoner I guess.
NV Twisted Oak Cockamamie
Another one from the office that was hot treated nicely with heat. But it seems good so far! Wine is more resilient than people give it credit for…
Another random one I didn’t know I had that was found while random digging around, but was happy to find CT thinks I have additional.
2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Cariñena Gran Viu Finca Santiaga
that is actually quite nice at P&P
A Tunisian Egg Salad with bacon cause I always need something meat no idea why they call it that maybe the turmeric? With a Stereophonic Syrah which is surprisingly good. Clocks in at 13.9 abv.
@ctmariner
Well yeah, a couple of years ago I bought some wine from Jason and he threw in a cab and this so I would try his wines. The cab was not something to my liking and I forgot about this one until last night. Really a delicious bottle of Syrah.
@klezman@ScottW58 I was reading about that cafe after Scott posted the picture last night. Israel I’ve never been, but I’m definitely Tel Aviv-curious.
Ok, so the '21 was with sketti, a term I/family used to use a million years ago and I forgot all about, boy did that bring back memories…the cast iron za, not my best effort and good dough that I bought, oh well
@ScottW58
I honestly had no idea what to expect, and am still trying to figure it out, as I have no basis of comparison. Seems tasty, in a very unfamiliar way.
@rjquillin@ScottW58 Tidings def good and better day two. My first bottle of Tidings, mainly because for over a year I couldn’t find them. Found them a few days ago in a box marked “German”
Go figure
@klezman I know you dry age your steaks. How do you do it? BTW, when you came to Chicago, I told you I was having prostate issues. So, cancer was detected, prostate removed but new cancer found recently. Don’t let anyone tell you 'it’s just prostate cancer and you’ll be fine." Get an annual PSA as part of your blood work!
@jmdavidson1 hope they can get rid of that thing!
Dry ageing is pretty simple - you just need fridge space. We had an old freezer half die - the defrost failed. So we converted it into a fridge and that’s what we use for dry ageing.
@jmdavidson1 NO! Those things are a good way to get rotten meat. You’re trying to get the outer layer to harden up and to allow water to evaporate efficiently - a bag just stops that from happening. I just take off the cryovac bag and plop it on the shelf. If you want to speed up the process then you can add in an air circulation fan.
I’ve taken it out as long as 90 days or so. I don’t have a big microbiome in that fridge, and it’s hovering just a touch above freezing, so I don’t get a lot of funk like you would with Flannery going out that long time. Just more tender and concentrated and oxidized flavours rather than microbial funk.
@jmdavidson1@kaolis
It’s neither restraint nor patience. I’ve simply bought more wine than we can drink in a timely manner! It is nice to have so much to choose from, but it won’t be as nice when I have to start pouring wines down the drain. There have already been a handful but thankfully few and far between.
Actually went to a Superbowl party last night something I have not been doing much of lately. Boring game would have been happier watching 4 hours of Olympic curling Food and wine was great, had to take a nap today tho!
@klezman@ScottW58 Same here, no party, pulled left over from New Years Portillo’s out of the freezer that we had shipped. 2016 Elivette. Tasty enough though, so such thing as Italian Beef this neck of the woods.
Coravined a couple of glasses yesterday…rather austere.
Pulled the plug and aerated it tonight…better. Not as “racy” as many zins. Not as “extracted” as some zins.
So what’s behind those wine glasses? Well, a few bottles of wine and a few wine drinkers! Last night we met up with @ScottW58 and bride at Fig restaurant in Charleston. Grand time had by all. Was more than fun to meet up and actually drink some wine and eat some food in person rather than out here in the ether.
@kaolis
Fantastic finally meeting the legend @kaolis and his LW! Thanks for driving out and having dinner with a simple man and his better half and a great dinner it was!
@klezman@ScottW58 It was a range indeed… but it worked and we stayed kind of seafood centric. We obviously mixed and matched but progression was the '01 LDH to the Haut Brion, then the Second Flight which was '07 then Maybach… and don’t believe that simple cr*p ha!
@kaolis What an outstanding evening! Hope your meals were wonderful after suggesting FIG. The wines are memorable. Chip and I could have driven the 12 hours for that gathering. If you’re ever in Ohio…
@msten@ScottW58 food was great…well good…(FIG stands for Food Is Good) and an order of gnocchi definitely hit the table. They were very accommodating, they have a two bottle limit on wines brought in, we sweet talked them into four.
Oh and had an early lunch today at the king of whole hog BBQ Rodney Scott’s place in Charleston yum. Off to Greenville tomorrow and I’m told @chipgreen knows of a great pizza place?
@ScottW58
Myles Pizza Pub! My favorite pizza in college at Bowling Green in NW OH in the '80s. Chip Myles and his wife retired to Greenville, got bored, and reopened down there. Highly recommend the ground bison topping. You can bring wine, too!
@ScottW58 missing those would have been a major faux pas.
It is amazing that so many of my high school classmates who remain in Chas have never been to Rodney’s.
@pjmartin
That’s just wrong also a short walk from our hotel we went and visited/toured the Yorktown, man the flight deck was longer than I thought. Had dinner at the hotel then watched Midway to see the Yorktown in action!
transparency, the tortellini was fresh hot cherry pepper, yum, I sauced 'em didn’t make 'em…generic patty with good cheese and stuff under the bad cheese…
@hscottk@ScottW58 Negative, not at all and I’m pretty sensitive to it. $18 on LB and contrary to some CT notes I found it quite full and fruit forward. I picked up a few other '20’s on closeouts on LB, mostly twosies. This actually might benefit from some time but all of these 20’s I bought are going to be drunk, had a couple already, sooner rather than later, just in case
Fake Champagne from Didier Chopin. Honestly, for $30, it’s pretty good. The Pinot Munier component seems true to other Champs I’ve tried with 30-40% Pinot Munier, so… good fake or yak palate? Probably the latter!
After additional research, it appears Chopin was convicted of producing fake Champagne between 2022-2023. This was purchased in 2020 and had been released a year or two before that, so maybe legit?
Well a few bottles in Greenville, first night grilled steaks at my sister in-laws, then Camp restaurant and next night Anchorage restaurant, both pretty nice!
2020 Marchelle Wines Carignan Old Vine Jesse’s Grove Vineyard. It’s so delightful, sorry I only had one. With Broccoli Rabe/(turkey) sausage/pasta, the specialité de la maison.
@ScottW58 All in my head. I was making the classic version with garlic and oil and orecchiette for ages, but the pressure cooker lady I used to follow said you could make pasta in the p.c. and I had to try it. It had to be short pasta that didn’t stack together, so I switched shapes and adapted her technique. I still love the old way, but this one is pretty damn good, even if it’s heretical to cook pasta this way. And it’s just one pot.
Chop and rinse a bunch of broccoli rabe, about a pound. Saute a couple of cloves of sliced garlic, then brown about half a pound of turkey Italian sausage. Red pepper flakes if you want them. Push the sausage to the side, add a couple of handfuls of rabe at a time to the pot and saute them a little before adding the next. I usually stir in another chopped clove of garlic after that. Then about a cup and a half of marinara, and half a pound of dry, shaped pasta like fusilli or farfalle. Add enough water so that the pasta is just barely covered by liquid, give it all a good stir, put on the lid and bring it to pressure. Cook however long it says on the package, maybe a minute less for al dente. Quick release the p.c., stir it up, then re-cover and let it sit a few minutes before serving.
Crazy that we never tried this old-school Spanish place that’s been in the neighborhood 40 years – much longer than we have. OK so the menu’s showing its age a bit, and the white Rioja we ordered magically turned itself into a Verdejo from Rueda, it’s all good.
With Paella Valenciana et al, 2023 Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo Rueda. Now we’re fully ready for the arrival of the big Nor’easter.
@ScottW58 ok, I won’t tell you. It didn’t start out that way, lovely bride even called it kind of jammy… but it changed fast. Day two, picked up a bit of complexity but still kind of meh… definitely a food wine and definitely a 180 from that Shafer. Bought two of them, it’ll be a bit before next bottle
@kaolis@ScottW58 I’ve got two bottles of 2005 Charbono from Tofanelli vineyard but different producers. I’m looking for a reason to open them together… Got any LA travel plans?
@klezman@ScottW58 Went back and read @TrinSF rattage. Although I didn’t dislike it as much as they did the point of being Chianti-ish is kind of spot on
In all my decades, I’d never heard of Marmite until I it was in an ingredient in a Kenji Classic Meatloaf; using Campo Grande and Flannery of course. Some 9-grain mix from Purcell and leftover green stuff that needed cleaning up.
The Bynum was serviceable as a PnP
@rjquillin Honestly don’t know, this has been laying in my little wine fridge at the house for a while. Need to look. No idea what when or how much I bought, didn’t record anything. It’s a relatively recent release if I recall. I hope there’s a bottle or two hanging around.
@kaolis@rjquillin Better yet, take a trip to Strasbourg and go visit in person! They were super nice to us even without a reservation and when they had a huge group coming in.
Belated celebration of Lunar New Year with some 2010 Iron Horse Chinese Cuvee, after dining at Li Wah in Cleveland’s Asiatown. We missed the Dim Sum cart because we went shopping first, but at least I was able to pick up some Italian Red Meat flavored Lays Potato Chips at the market. I passed on the Crayfish flavored Lays.
@kaolis@rjquillin@ScottW58
Im in St. Louis so Mexican isn’t at the forefront and neither is seafood (the wine pic I posted a few minutes before this set), but we have some great places and chefs here.
New place - one brother is front of the house and other is the chef. We said we were coming and wanted him to cook for us so we had seven courses of whatever he wanted to feed us. It was delicious. There were a few pics I left out since it takes forever to load one by one on my phone, but great presentation and it all paired well with the wines. We do that fairly frequently if it’s a new restaurant and/or we know the chefs/owners. Let them know ahead of time we’re coming and we want them to feed us what they love; typically 6 of us each week. Usually their creative ‘best stuff’ is amazing as they also try to pair their food with the wines we bring. We bring wines for the general type of food. The downside is sometimes what they serve us is not on the menu, but it does give us a good sense if we’ll go back and tell others to visit. This place is now on the list to return.
The duck was great. The mole was not chocolatey, but had a spicy tomato thing going on. So good and went perfectly with the duck. Come visit anytime!
A Merguez sausage and chicken thigh dish that is rocking if I don’t say so myself with a bit of bay leaf olive oil and red wine vinegar dolops for balance. Why is it so f’ing hard to upload pics here
2021 Rondure Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard
2020 Our Wines Pinot Noir
to pair with some fresh caught tuna (seared)
That Sangiacomo was spot on and ready to rock.
@chipgreen tasty?
@kaolis
Very
Roasted a bird last night put some marrow butter under the skin, a handful of thyme inside and SPG. Basted with white wine. Twas a delicious bird.
@ScottW58 bird looks good…wine too, how was it?
@kaolis just delicious! But could use just a touch more acid but won’t kick it out of bed tho
Boss wants sushi tonight so we pulled a couple small bottles of sake:
Asahi Shuzo Dassai 39 Junmai Daiginjo
Izumi Nama Nama Junmai Sake (from Ontario)
@klezman will be interested in your thoughts
@rjquillin I’ve had both before - one at a K&L tasting and the other at the brewery in Toronto. The latter is where I learned how much more interesting namazake can be than the pasteurised stuff.
@klezman pics please
@rjquillin This is easier:
https://izumibrewery.com/collections/bottled-sake/products/nama-nama-375ml
https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1427440
@klezman
I might be wrong, but perhaps Ron wanted to see pics of the sushi as well as the sake?
@kawichris650 Well, too late for that. Next time he visits he could hazard slumming it with our “cheap” sushi place. (Hard to say it’s actually cheap, but with what they charge for sushi in LA it’s relatively reasonable.)
H/T @kaolis @karenhynes
2018 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Martaella Vineyard
Campo Grande outside skirt w/chimichurri and sheet pan veggies
@rjquillin
Thoughts on the Gary Farrell??
@karenhynes I’m still working on my pinot palate; don’t really know what I like, but this worked quite well with that Campo Grande. @kaolis notes, as well as CT (surprise), seem pretty spot on, but I should have more thoughts in a few days.
Didn’t know I even had this, but a walk down to the cellar looking for a PN this was standing up in a random open case on top and got the grab.
@karenhynes @rjquillin Enablers the all of you…reminds me I need a Campo Grande order, looks delish
@karenhynes Faux Rat follow-up
A couple days in the fridge, no Ar, and this seems a totally different bottle. Gone are all the sharp edges I noticed on day one. Now it’s all nice sweet (not rs) fruit with, for me, balanced structure that nearly makes this a quaffer in the best way. Thoroughly enjoyable, and glad there is more waiting.
Last night, with tacos
@chipgreen One of our favorites! (cheap on B21 w/FS/case on the 21st)
Stuffed another pork tender, '22 vino
@kaolis show off!
@kaolis I gotta spend some time making things like that occasionally.
Wow! This is a very good wine.
I don’t know if the age affects it of if it’s just “Shafer”.
For a 2014, the cork is in perfect shape.
With beef stew.
2011 Two Jakes of Diamonds Merlot, Lake County. 3 hours before we’d be opening this at the restaurant, I ah-so out the cork, pour through aerator into that pitcher, then through funnel back into bottle. You see here I’m about to work the cork back into the bottle. When opened at the restaurant, it’s already been breathing for a few hours.
My wife and I are not Bordeaux folks, but this was great. Meaty Mexican food was a great pairing. Plenty of life ahead. I could certainly have decanted more. A few years ago, as I was learning about wine, this was the first wine I left on the counter at room temperature for 3 days, half full, and saw how it kept getting better. Blew my mine.
This is good news. I’ve got lotsa Two Jakes, and it’s not getting any younger.
SWMBO made sketti with some Flannery sausages,
I countered with some 2010 Vino Noceto Sangiovese;
a WW purchase from nearly 13 years ago.
Drinking quite nicely too…
Good wine, great friends and food.
A quick beef Ramen with the only noodles I had and a white.
@ScottW58 how’d you do the broth?
@rjquillin
it’s tasty tho.
Some quick recipe that I got off the website that I bought the Ramen bowls from, a chef named Akari Hasegawa. It doesn’t have the depth of a good Ramen but it’s quick (3 hours) and it was a good way to use my Morgan ranch Kabob meat that I’m not so fond of
@ScottW58 tnx
Haven’t tried all that much Morgan, but I’ll have to agree, not at all impressed on any of the Kabob meat we’ve had, and that soured any additional purchases.
@rjquillin @ScottW58 It makes, although, expensive , stew.
@rjquillin
ymmv
Well that’s the only Morgan I don’t care for, I buy the shit out of everything else!
@danandlisa @rjquillin
True but it was delicious
@danandlisa @ScottW58
And I seem to be in the minority here, as well as WB. Just not impressed with the few others I’ve had either, especially when considering the tariff. Just a commoner I guess.
@danandlisa @rjquillin
Hey everybody has different tastes as you can see here
@danandlisa @rjquillin @ScottW58
Morgan tenderloin tips, now that’s some good kabob meat.
@danandlisa @dirtdoctor @rjquillin @ScottW58 Ooh, food fight!
With my Japanese friends, and hangers in Vegas,
Better wine, still great friends and food.
Great wine, food and friends.
[1]:
Happy Wednesday!
These are chicken thighs with Italian sausage, peppers, and potatoes.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/255936/chicken-sausage-peppers-and-potatoes/
NV Twisted Oak Cockamamie
Another one from the office that was hot treated nicely with heat. But it seems good so far! Wine is more resilient than people give it credit for…
Another random one I didn’t know I had that was found while random digging around, but was happy to find CT thinks I have additional.
2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Cariñena Gran Viu Finca Santiaga
that is actually quite nice at P&P
A Tunisian Egg Salad with bacon cause I always need something meat
no idea why they call it that maybe the turmeric? With a Stereophonic Syrah which is surprisingly good. Clocks in at 13.9 abv.
@ScottW58 interested in the word “surprisingly” - low expectations?
@ctmariner
Well yeah, a couple of years ago I bought some wine from Jason and he threw in a cab and this so I would try his wines. The cab was not something to my liking and I forgot about this one until last night. Really a delicious bottle of Syrah.
@ScottW58 Thats good to know - just ordered a belated 6 pack of the syrah for $120 + shipping from his BD17 offer!
@ctmariner @ScottW58 no problem with your wine, or bacon…egg salad however…
@ctmariner @kaolis
Lol
Had trouble uploading pics cause this pic kept popping up
anyways Jim, Jimmy and Janice… Well I thought it was cool 
@ScottW58
dearly miss them all
Legends of the times will live forever…
@rjquillin indeed!!
@ScottW58 in Israel?!
@klezman @ScottW58 Apparently it was a legit hip place to hang out! But that photo looks pretty iffy…
@InFrom @klezman
Yeah looking it up the pic is a reproduction of a painting, not a real picture. Still pretty cool none the less.
@InFrom @ScottW58 If you’ve never been to Israel, it’s a fantastic place and definitely a hip place to hang out. Especially parts of Tel Aviv.
@klezman @ScottW58 I was reading about that cafe after Scott posted the picture last night. Israel I’ve never been, but I’m definitely Tel Aviv-curious.
@InFrom @klezman @ScottW58 Very cool pic, makes we wonder if I’ve ever been experienced
2010 Owen Roe Cabernet Franc Rosa Mystica and Trader Joe’s porchetta
@klezman
Trader joes porchetta?!?! Make the damn thing yourself Jesus
@ScottW58 One of these days, but then that’s not a Thursday night meal for us working stiffs.
@klezman
then again I have washed my brain of all memory of being a working stiff so do what you will.
Eh excuses excuses make time
Ina Garten creamy mustard onion chicken thighs with bubbles.
@ScottW58
Now you’ve got me thinking… I should’ve tried bubbles with the chicken thighs I made last night. I will keep that in mind for next time.
@kawichris650 @ScottW58 need to make another batch
2015 Contrade di Taurasi (Cantine Lonardo) Aglianico Irpinia
Costco ribs, canned b-beans, smashed spuds, broiled asparagus
Ok, so the '21 was with sketti, a term I/family used to use a million years ago and I forgot all about, boy did that bring back memories…the cast iron za, not my best effort and good dough that I bought, oh well
@kaolis
Nice! I opened a 20 Guidalberto the other night, it was very good, no sketti tho.
@ScottW58 '23 at wtso
2008 Château de Ferrand
2023 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages
2023 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages
2024 Orr Wines Old Vines Chenin Blanc
@rjquillin
Well? I will be picking mine up tomorrow.
@ScottW58
I honestly had no idea what to expect, and am still trying to figure it out, as I have no basis of comparison. Seems tasty, in a very unfamiliar way.
@ScottW58 It’s growing on me.
Miso cod and a leftover lobster tail.
@rjquillin
Kids came over and made some Mexican food and confirmed I dig the Orr Chenin a lot! Dry mineral hints of apple and pear, great acid!
@ScottW58
Pretty much what I was thinking, but couldn’t name the pear.
The way you effed up the pics, those other two bottles musta been good as well.
Try uploading again and I’ll slug them in here
Morgan Ranch sirloin flap/bavette, I forget how damn good these are…more Rollen’s grits with poblano and red pepper and a ton of 18yo cheddar
@kaolis You just may make me reconsider Morgan
@rjquillin no idea what you have had, but I could live on the strips
@kaolis @rjquillin
Yes! And that Tidings is really great iirc?
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Tidings def good and better day two. My first bottle of Tidings, mainly because for over a year I couldn’t find them. Found them a few days ago in a box marked “German”
Go figure
2021 Madrigal
The one that’s 98% Merlot.
I didn’t get that one, but my Casemate hooked me up with one.
I’d like to see that one come around again!
1994 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyards blend. With dry aged steak
@klezman I know you dry age your steaks. How do you do it? BTW, when you came to Chicago, I told you I was having prostate issues. So, cancer was detected, prostate removed but new cancer found recently. Don’t let anyone tell you 'it’s just prostate cancer and you’ll be fine." Get an annual PSA as part of your blood work!
@jmdavidson1 hope they can get rid of that thing!
Dry ageing is pretty simple - you just need fridge space. We had an old freezer half die - the defrost failed. So we converted it into a fridge and that’s what we use for dry ageing.
@jmdavidson1 @klezman
Hoping for the best Jm! And yes PSA every year.
@klezman Do you use dry aging bags? How long to age them?
@jmdavidson1 NO! Those things are a good way to get rotten meat. You’re trying to get the outer layer to harden up and to allow water to evaporate efficiently - a bag just stops that from happening. I just take off the cryovac bag and plop it on the shelf. If you want to speed up the process then you can add in an air circulation fan.
I’ve taken it out as long as 90 days or so. I don’t have a big microbiome in that fridge, and it’s hovering just a touch above freezing, so I don’t get a lot of funk like you would with Flannery going out that long time. Just more tender and concentrated and oxidized flavours rather than microbial funk.
2023 Callaway Winery Soleil rosė on a perfect Temecula afternoon. Better than expected, but expectations were low.
Beats the heck out of 9 degrees back east!
Had a little party yesterday
@chipgreen That’s a nice party! Well done!
@chipgreen Wow. Some wines which I had bought, but we’re consumed a long time ago. Kudos for your restraint.
@chipgreen @jmdavidson1 way way more restraint and patience than I have
@jmdavidson1 @kaolis
It’s neither restraint nor patience. I’ve simply bought more wine than we can drink in a timely manner! It is nice to have so much to choose from, but it won’t be as nice when I have to start pouring wines down the drain. There have already been a handful but thankfully few and far between.
@chipgreen @jmdavidson1 @kaolis Well done.
That’s one table full of empties, many I recognize but may be hard pressed to actually find and touch.
@chipgreen Nice lineup! Special occasion, or just a run-of-the-mill Saturday-night get-together?
@chipgreen @InFrom
Oh you know…
Just a “little” party.
(That took out 17 bottles.)
@InFrom @kawichris650
The special occasion was my first Saturday off work in 3 months!
Actually went to a Superbowl party last night something I have not been doing much of lately. Boring game would have been happier watching 4 hours of Olympic curling
Food and wine was great, had to take a nap today tho!
@ScottW58
Very nice! How were the lobster rolls?
@chipgreen they were delicious! Seattle fans made them cause you know you have to eat the heart of your enemies before a game!
@ScottW58 Much better looking food and drink than we had!
@klezman @ScottW58 Same here, no party, pulled left over from New Years Portillo’s out of the freezer that we had shipped. 2016 Elivette. Tasty enough though, so such thing as Italian Beef this neck of the woods.
@chipgreen Imagine that was nice. Mine we consumed long ago
Got lucky finding these in town. A real treat! Not much of this stuff makes it to the east coast. Hard enough to find out here!
Alright Morgan ranch flat iron hell yes and one of my favorite things in life Yorkshire pudding… And wine
@ScottW58 Those puddings look nice!
@klezman @ScottW58 Show off
Drinking the offer that just went up. Notes coming…
2018 Pedroncelli Zinfandel Mother Clone
Coravined a couple of glasses yesterday…rather austere.
Pulled the plug and aerated it tonight…better. Not as “racy” as many zins. Not as “extracted” as some zins.
@FritzCat Per SWMBO, “This is very good wine”. Gets 89 - 90 on CT.
@CorTot
LD, nice!
@chipgreen @CorTot Fancy!
So what’s behind those wine glasses? Well, a few bottles of wine and a few wine drinkers! Last night we met up with @ScottW58 and bride at Fig restaurant in Charleston. Grand time had by all. Was more than fun to meet up and actually drink some wine and eat some food in person rather than out here in the ether.
@kaolis
That is all kinds of awesome! Cheers!
FOOLS! TOOLS! JEWELS! AWESOME!
@kaolis
and a great dinner it was!
Fantastic finally meeting the legend @kaolis and his LW! Thanks for driving out and having dinner with a simple man and his better half
@kaolis @ScottW58 nice!
Also quite the range of wine styles there!
So Scott, can we finally schedule something?
@klezman @ScottW58 It was a range indeed… but it worked and we stayed kind of seafood centric. We obviously mixed and matched but progression was the '01 LDH to the Haut Brion, then the Second Flight which was '07 then Maybach… and don’t believe that simple cr*p ha!
@kaolis @ScottW58 Scott has never been a simple man
@kaolis @klezman
Hey! I take offence to that statement
@kaolis @klezman @ScottW58
But you do resemble that remark
@kaolis What an outstanding evening! Hope your meals were wonderful after suggesting FIG. The wines are memorable. Chip and I could have driven the 12 hours for that gathering. If you’re ever in Ohio…
@msten @ScottW58 food was great…well good…(FIG stands for Food Is Good) and an order of gnocchi definitely hit the table. They were very accommodating, they have a two bottle limit on wines brought in, we sweet talked them into four.
@kaolis @msten I will go out on a limb here and say the beef tartare with truffle was f’ing awesome
4 bottles 4 people worked ha.
MEALS! DEALS! EELS! AWESOME!
@karenhynes delicious
Oh and had an early lunch today at the king of whole hog BBQ Rodney Scott’s place in Charleston yum. Off to Greenville tomorrow and I’m told @chipgreen knows of a great pizza place?
@ScottW58 yum…haven’t been there, did visit his spot in Hemingway before he went to Charleston. Good stuff
@kaolis The original Hemingway is closed?? This place even had a drive thru, what a great city
@ScottW58
Myles Pizza Pub! My favorite pizza in college at Bowling Green in NW OH in the '80s. Chip Myles and his wife retired to Greenville, got bored, and reopened down there. Highly recommend the ground bison topping. You can bring wine, too!
@ScottW58 The place is there, run by family members. He got out when he ventured to Charleston. If memory serves
@ScottW58 Absolutely the best BBQ. I don’t see any hushpuppies on that tray…
@pjmartin
Oop’s just not in the pic, in fact took an extra order of hush puppies back to the hotel for late night snacks, I’m slow not stupid lol.
@chipgreen ohhh thanks chip hopefully we can get there.
@ScottW58
missing those would have been a major faux pas.
It is amazing that so many of my high school classmates who remain in Chas have never been to Rodney’s.
@pjmartin
also a short walk from our hotel we went and visited/toured the Yorktown, man the flight deck was longer than I thought. Had dinner at the hotel then watched Midway to see the Yorktown in action!
That’s just wrong
@chipgreen @ScottW58
That pie is looking mighty tasty.
And totally cardiologist forbidden.
Mind you, not that would stop me…
2019 Dutton Estate Chard, Palms vineyard. Great pairing with black cod and seared tuna at the local byo fish house.
finished up the Italian that was in the fridge for a few days, rib tips in the smoker with the pinot
2008 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Brown Ranch in the glass
NV Williams & Humbert Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Don Guido 20 YO Rare Old Sweet Pedro Ximenez Solera Especial
reduction is the glaze
Campo pork loin Wellington, yellow polenta with green and orange stuff
@rjquillin Rockin’ it! nice combo
@chipgreen Never had the PG, but really like their cab sauv., especially with raw oysters.
@chipgreen that should have been sauvignon blanc
@jmdavidson1
Figured as much. We have also enjoyed their SB.
With cheesy puffs.
@chipgreen
@kaolis
Yes, those! Really good pairing, as it turns out.
transparency, the tortellini was fresh hot cherry pepper, yum, I sauced 'em didn’t make 'em…generic patty with good cheese and stuff under the bad cheese…
@kaolis
Looks great! How was the 2020, smoke?
@kaolis @ScottW58 Was wondering that myself.
@hscottk @ScottW58 Negative, not at all and I’m pretty sensitive to it. $18 on LB and contrary to some CT notes I found it quite full and fruit forward. I picked up a few other '20’s on closeouts on LB, mostly twosies. This actually might benefit from some time but all of these 20’s I bought are going to be drunk, had a couple already, sooner rather than later, just in case
@hscottk @kaolis
No smoke that’s a hell of a deal, but yeah better safe than sorry.
Fake Champagne from Didier Chopin. Honestly, for $30, it’s pretty good. The Pinot Munier component seems true to other Champs I’ve tried with 30-40% Pinot Munier, so… good fake or yak palate? Probably the latter!
After additional research, it appears Chopin was convicted of producing fake Champagne between 2022-2023. This was purchased in 2020 and had been released a year or two before that, so maybe legit?
@chipgreen eh, a little battery acid never hurt anyone
Well a few bottles in Greenville, first night grilled steaks at my sister in-laws, then Camp restaurant and next night Anchorage restaurant, both pretty nice!
@ScottW58 Have glassware, will travel?
@InFrom @ScottW58 Nice! Mowe…'23? I think you popped a '22 before. How was that Spottswoode? Old fave, used to drink a bit of it
@InFrom
Well I did not travel with stems, wine yes!
@InFrom @kaolis
22 Mowe and that damn Spottswood has been drinking so damn well lately!
Went to Scoundrel for our last dinner, this place is really good, and a couple bottles. French bistro kind of thing. Bathroom was interesting
@ScottW58 O la la! Reminds me of an oldie.
@ScottW58
nd you didn’t have the boss take pics in the ladies?
@rjquillin @ScottW58 beware people wielding their phones/cameras in a public restroom…ha! (nice wines)
@ScottW58 that has been a spectacular wine vacation, enjoy!
@msten
Thanks but really the wine just went for the ride it’s meeting up with good people that makes it fun!
@ScottW58
Absolutely. That’s the important stuff.
Happy Wednesday!
@kawichris650 I was waiting for the Wellington!
Well hell it’s back to the real world, a few oddball Morgan ranch cuts, canned baked beans (I love them) and green stuff.
@ScottW58 Nice looking beef!
@klezman @ScottW58 nothing wrong with a can of beans, kick 'em up a notch, Sandra Lee, Almost Homemade!
2011 Halcon Syrah Alturas with lamb. Just finally getting over some nasty flu.
2020 Marchelle Wines Carignan Old Vine Jesse’s Grove Vineyard. It’s so delightful, sorry I only had one. With Broccoli Rabe/(turkey) sausage/pasta, the specialité de la maison.
@InFrom
Damn that looks good!
@ScottW58 I am unduly fond of broccoli rabe. This batch I made in the pressure cooker.
@InFrom
Recipe?
@ScottW58 All in my head. I was making the classic version with garlic and oil and orecchiette for ages, but the pressure cooker lady I used to follow said you could make pasta in the p.c. and I had to try it. It had to be short pasta that didn’t stack together, so I switched shapes and adapted her technique. I still love the old way, but this one is pretty damn good, even if it’s heretical to cook pasta this way. And it’s just one pot.
Chop and rinse a bunch of broccoli rabe, about a pound. Saute a couple of cloves of sliced garlic, then brown about half a pound of turkey Italian sausage. Red pepper flakes if you want them. Push the sausage to the side, add a couple of handfuls of rabe at a time to the pot and saute them a little before adding the next. I usually stir in another chopped clove of garlic after that. Then about a cup and a half of marinara, and half a pound of dry, shaped pasta like fusilli or farfalle. Add enough water so that the pasta is just barely covered by liquid, give it all a good stir, put on the lid and bring it to pressure. Cook however long it says on the package, maybe a minute less for al dente. Quick release the p.c., stir it up, then re-cover and let it sit a few minutes before serving.
2018 Hein Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
Crazy that we never tried this old-school Spanish place that’s been in the neighborhood 40 years – much longer than we have. OK so the menu’s showing its age a bit, and the white Rioja we ordered magically turned itself into a Verdejo from Rueda, it’s all good.
With Paella Valenciana et al, 2023 Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo Rueda. Now we’re fully ready for the arrival of the big Nor’easter.
Kermit Lynch 2024 Beaujolais, can’t go wrong and always great selections if you see that name as the importer on the back of the label.
NV Quady “Electra Black”. Yeah it’s sweet, yeah it’s fizzy, and yet super fun with friends over an afternoon board game.
Nothing crazy going on around here, finished up the zin and the cab, charbono (jury out) last night…with…sketti!
@kaolis
Well you guys were thirsty lol, just tell me that charbono is not tart
@ScottW58 ok, I won’t tell you. It didn’t start out that way, lovely bride even called it kind of jammy… but it changed fast. Day two, picked up a bit of complexity but still kind of meh… definitely a food wine and definitely a 180 from that Shafer. Bought two of them, it’ll be a bit before next bottle
@kaolis @ScottW58 I’ve got two bottles of 2005 Charbono from Tofanelli vineyard but different producers. I’m looking for a reason to open them together… Got any LA travel plans?
@klezman @ScottW58 I’m usually a fan, this was a bit different
@klezman @ScottW58 Went back and read @TrinSF rattage. Although I didn’t dislike it as much as they did the point of being Chianti-ish is kind of spot on
In all my decades, I’d never heard of Marmite until I it was in an ingredient in a Kenji Classic Meatloaf; using Campo Grande and Flannery of course. Some 9-grain mix from Purcell and leftover green stuff that needed cleaning up.
The Bynum was serviceable as a PnP
@rjquillin Marmite - you either love it or hate it!
@ctmariner @rjquillin Never heard of it either…thinking I might be on the hate it side of things ha!
@ctmariner @kaolis
If you need some umami, it should do the trick.
I had no idea what it was, and was surprised when I saw how it is produced.
@kaolis @rjquillin Its similar to the Aussie Vegemite
Did some fried fish and Chris Lilly’s smoked Mac and cheese, definitely need some lipitor tonight
@ScottW58 Doc, is it ok to take two of these? Looking good, not a bad Monday bottle either
2019 Peterson Merlot, delicious. MMGA.
2013 Two Jake’s Aspects with pizza.
Finished up the Ridge, Trimbach with fried pork chops…fried up some leftover spaghetti and rice in olive oil and butter…someone say Lipitor?
@kaolis any more of that Trimbach in the cellar?
@rjquillin Honestly don’t know, this has been laying in my little wine fridge at the house for a while. Need to look. No idea what when or how much I bought, didn’t record anything. It’s a relatively recent release if I recall. I hope there’s a bottle or two hanging around.
@kaolis
Really?! You just had to show me up with fried pork chops and a great bottle! I’ll take two!
@kaolis @rjquillin Better yet, take a trip to Strasbourg and go visit in person! They were super nice to us even without a reservation and when they had a huge group coming in.
Belated celebration of Lunar New Year with some 2010 Iron Horse Chinese Cuvee, after dining at Li Wah in Cleveland’s Asiatown. We missed the Dim Sum cart because we went shopping first, but at least I was able to pick up some Italian Red Meat flavored Lays Potato Chips at the market. I passed on the Crayfish flavored Lays.
@chipgreen I find Italian red meat flavored chips vastly superior to American. I’m definitely more an old world red meat chips sort of person.
too much bandwidth…sorry! Marsh Hen Mill white grits…baa
@kaolis
Nice work! Lots of great food and wine on here since I last checked in… Now I’m hungry lol
@kaolis @ScottW58 Lamb shanks are always a good idea
Back in the groove with Wed night wine dinners. Two weeks ago at a seafood place
@chefjess
Very nice! What’s up with the funky label on the '08 Dom?
@chipgreen
I think that’s the Lenny Kravitz label
Last week at a Mexican place. The food was fantastic and the wines were beautiful. I actually have a few pics of the food
@chefjess Always appreciate your wine lineup…that food looks yum indeed
@chefjess @kaolis
and where did you find a Mexican place like that?
@chefjess @kaolis @rjquillin
Damn! Is that a mole the duck is sitting on? Me thinks we need to head out to the Midwest again
@kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58
Im in St. Louis so Mexican isn’t at the forefront and neither is seafood (the wine pic I posted a few minutes before this set), but we have some great places and chefs here.
New place - one brother is front of the house and other is the chef. We said we were coming and wanted him to cook for us so we had seven courses of whatever he wanted to feed us. It was delicious. There were a few pics I left out since it takes forever to load one by one on my phone, but great presentation and it all paired well with the wines. We do that fairly frequently if it’s a new restaurant and/or we know the chefs/owners. Let them know ahead of time we’re coming and we want them to feed us what they love; typically 6 of us each week. Usually their creative ‘best stuff’ is amazing as they also try to pair their food with the wines we bring. We bring wines for the general type of food. The downside is sometimes what they serve us is not on the menu, but it does give us a good sense if we’ll go back and tell others to visit. This place is now on the list to return.
The duck was great. The mole was not chocolatey, but had a spicy tomato thing going on. So good and went perfectly with the duck. Come visit anytime!
@chefjess @kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58 Yeah, looks like we need to visit St. Louis.
@kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58
Sorry, it was a tamarind sauce with the duck. The spicy tomato was with the Brie stuffed artichoke
@chefjess @kaolis @rjquillin
Interesting wish I had the recipe to try it
A Merguez sausage and chicken thigh dish that is rocking if I don’t say so myself
with a bit of bay leaf olive oil and red wine vinegar dolops for balance. Why is it so f’ing hard to upload pics here 
3:
5:
@ScottW58
then do it from a real computer…
Looks delish
2021 Rondure Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard
2020 Our Wines Pinot Noir
to pair with some fresh caught tuna (seared)
That Sangiacomo was spot on and ready to rock.
@rjquillin How was the Our Wines? Any smoke?
2021 Goodfellow Pinot Blanc, Franc de Pied
That means own rooted! Very tasty.
With raclette hand imported from Geneva.